


Between the lines

by OrangeTeaMoon



Category: Bleach
Genre: Gin is a spy, GinIchi Day 2019, Kitsune Ichimaru Gin, Kitsune Kurosaki Ichigo, M/M, My First Work in This Fandom, Not Beta Read, and clueless, but they'll figure it out, for no-one, my first work ever, nothing goes as planned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-02 02:27:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20268511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrangeTeaMoon/pseuds/OrangeTeaMoon
Summary: Ichigo always knew his life wouldn't be normal. He was a Kitsune, and the strange luck that had followed him had made him rather resistant to weirdness. So he could imagine befriending a ghost. And becoming a player in a war between ghosts was still in the realm of his imagination. But becoming an (unofficial) handler of a secret spy (also unofficial) in said war? Yeah, not something he had ever thought possible. But that's what happens when the bad luck of two Kitsune combines.





	Between the lines

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is what happened.  
It's late, and the Chapter literally has one line of Gin, but there's more chapters to come hopefully. 
> 
> And thank you to all the support form the GinIchi server! You made this possible, for better or worse ;)

Karakura town was a mostly peaceful place. It had its problems with small gangs and delinquents, but which place doesn’t? And, like most places it had its own special local rumours. Some of the most persistent targeted one of the boys in town, and unlike others, these ones never seemed to really go away. 

Kurosaki Ichigo was a strange child, and his bright orange hair wasn't even the weirdest thing about him. He was surrounded by an air of mystery, which made him popular with the girls, and also pissed off the resident thugs who liked said girls, which in turn caused the poor boy a lot of trouble on the streets.  
In addition to the fights he would get into because of jealous boys or those that picked on him for his bright orange hair, he did things that made it easy to pick on him. he spoke to plants and animals, and more then once had he gotten into fights defending a tree or even a place he claimed to be haunted by a ghost. It wasn't really a bad strangeness, for all that it drew the wrong kind of attention from the delinquents and gangs in the surrounding areas. 

All of the redhead’s friends felt that strangeness, and they had never doubted him. After all, the Japanese were very superstitious general, so if their friend claimed to know and see and feel what they could not, then they would just put their trust in him. They did know him, and they knew that he would never lie to them. 

Ichigo himself didn't consider himself strange. He knew how others viewed him, but his friends had accepted his quirks with nothing more than a raised eyebrow here and there, and his family hadn't fit any possible description of ‘normal’ even when his mother had been alive. So to him there was nothing strange about asking the ally cats how the hunting was going, nor did he feel any embarrassment stopping by the big Winistra tree by the school grounds very morning and afternoon to exchange greetings and gossip. 

He was after all a properly taught Kitsune, and he knew the value in having allies. There were enough wild cats in his territory to have them as allies and they didn't ask for anything more than treats, so it was an easy relationship to maintain. They knew who went where and when, and they liked carrying messages in return for treats, and the trees were always happy when someone stopped to speak with them, and they liked to return little tidbits that they had seen or heard for the polite fox’s attention. 

Ichigo had quickly learned that a simple “that alley is full of humans, they smell like blood,” whispered by a street cat could save him from ambushes by the local gangs, and how a quick message tagged to the collar of a neighbourhood kitten saved his sisters a lot of worry. After their mother’s death the siblings became closer than ever, and while this was a good thing, there had been a time where his family had lived in constant fear for him. It became the one thing Ichigo never wanted to be the cause of again. 

So when he heard that Chad had been seen in an alley with some thugs that had been roaming around the past weeks, he asked one of the cats to carry a message to the clinic for the twin sisters. And he would be brining his big friend to dinner, it had been a while since he'd visited them, and Yuzu’s skills had improved again an deserved to be shown off.  
______________________________________________________________________________

Kurosaki Yuzu smiled as she read her brother’s message, telling her that he would be about 20 minutes late for dinner and bringing Chad. The cat that had delivered it finished her treats and pressed against Yuzu’s hands, begging for extra pets for a job well done. It was one of the cats Ichigo had taken to using ever since he discovered his bond with the animals. It was nearly as orange as her brothers hair (and as proud of it), and Yuzu could never quite suppress a giggle when she saw them together. 

Sometimes the younger girl wondered what attracted the cats to her brother, and him to them, even though his spirit was canine in nature. However, as long as it was for Ichigo, the proud animals didn't mind delivering messages or warning them of new thugs and gangs on their path. Perhaps it was because they were a lot alike? She shook off the thought, after all, his connection to trees was just as strong, and he definitely had nothing in common with them. However, as incomprehensible as it was to anyone not connected to nature in such way as her brother, both she and Karin followed his example, and made an effort not to step on roots or otherwise harm the plant life surrounding them. After all, the Kitsune liked to say that those who showed respect to nature would always find a save heaven inside it.

Still, when she got up to start peppering dinner for the five of them, her thoughts wandered to what could have happened if Ichigo hadn't been discovered by his teacher when he was. Their mother’s death had been a horrible event for them all, but there was no doubt that it had hit her brother, who watched her die, the hardest.  
He had spent days locked in his room, totally out of it. They had heard him scream and throw things around at night, but their father had insisted that it would help him become better in time, it was nothing to worry about, and that all they could do was support him without getting in his space. And when he did come out, things only got better on the surface. He smiled at them and said he was fine, but he never really talked to them. Even their dad had been lost on how to handle his oldest.  
It hadn't been until Koshiro Sensei had found her brother and started teaching him the ways of the Kitsune that Ichigo had started to heal. He had explained that their kind dealt with grief and loss differently form most others, and Ichigo, who had been too young to even manifest a proper Kitsune form, had been at war with his instincts since the accident.  
Ichigo had needed to be active, and after he had fully awaked under Sensei’s guidance, he had been abel to settle into his form and instinct, and deal with the grief the way he should have been.  
She smiled looking over her knives. They were a gift from Koshiro Sensei, to congratulate her for becoming an official liaison to the spirit realm. ‘Well, no point in thinking about this depressing times’ she thought and focused on dinner. It had been a while since they had seen Chad, which meant that she had to do her best.  
“I will make the best dinner ever!”, she shouted with determination. 

————————————————————————————————————————-

Ichigo followed the black cat that had alerted him that a gang had cornered Chad. She was quick and he had to pay attention not to loose her in the evening crowds. He was jogging past the grocery store near the elementary school when the cat took a quick turn to the right, and the boy had to make a sharp turn to do the same, not looking into the street as he turned due to the abruptness of the action. And then he hit the floor.  
“Sorry Ichigo”, came a deep rumble from above, and the redhead felt a warm hand on his as he was pulled up. “Man, you feel like a brick wall”, Ichigo complained to his friend. “I thought you were in trouble, not that I would be the one in trouble when I found you”, he added, holding the still smarting nose. “Sorry” the taller boy repeated. “Whatever, what happened to the thugs?”  
Chad said nothing but his guilty look over his back gave him away. Ichigo just sighed, they had probably powered themselves out trying to hit Chad, and now his big friend felt bad for these idiots. He rolled his eyes. “Let’s check them over and go home. Yuzu is making a fruit cake for dessert.” He smirked, after all, if there was one thing the bigger boy couldn't resist it was Yuzu’s cake. But then again, he had yet to meet anyone that could.  
“Thank you for your help, little black.” He leant down to pet her, “I owe you one.” The cat meowed in acknowledgment to the debt owed and left, while the two human children turned to hurry towards home. 

Dinner was amazing, and somehow Yzuz's cooking seemed to get better every day. The girl took pride in her ability, and loved taking care of people. When Ichigo first dragged in Chad, she had been so happy to have another person to spoil with her fantastic food and kindness, and Chad had needed those, badly. Ichigo liked to think that he became such good friends with the Mexican boy because they were alike, but he also knew that quite a part of it was due to the fear that the normal people tended to feel around Chad. It was totally unfair and stupid of course, but the mix between ‘giant’ and ‘foreigner’ seemed too much for most people to get over, much like Ichigo’s hair and attitude was. 

Looking around the table Ichigo was reminded of how perfectly the other fit in with them. His dad spent the night at the clinic, as he did twice a week, which meant that there was no annoying screaming and fighting in the kitchen. Just chipper and lively conversation. His sisters had never been scared of Chad, not even when Ichigo had appeared with him for dinner out of nowhere, and then Chad had quickly fallen prey to the supportive kindness Yuzu showed in the kitchen and found a kindred spirit (literally) in Karin. They had become the stabilising influence in his life, much like the siblings had once found in Sensei.  
Karin and Chad shared an earth affinity, and while Sensei hadn't been able to teach her more than the basics, the two of them kept experimenting with their ability, and both were happy to talk to someone about their differences. After all, it was rare for humans to be born sensitive, even if they had spirits in their family. And even though Ichigo knew that his sisters would have accepted him even if they weren't sensitive enough to know about him being a Kitsune, he still treasured that they could do more than accept him, they also could understand him. Of course their insight into his world could not be compared to his, but that he could speak to them meant a lot. 

“Dinner was fantastic,” Chad complimented Yuzu on his way out. She just giggled and handed him the packed up leftovers. Chad didn't even try and not accept them anymore, he just smiled in gratitude, while Yuzu took Karin back to the kitchen for clean up.  
“I’ll walk with you.”  
“You know, you don't need to escort me around, Ichigo.”  
Ichigo just shrugged. “I know you can handle yourself, but it makes me feel better to go with you.”  
Chad knew that a part of Ichigo’s need to protect him and know him safe came from the Kitsune instincts that he still couldn't fully suppress, and it warmed him from the inside that his friend didn't think him weak. It was just his way of showing that he was part of the the family. 

On the way back Ichigo passed by the river. It was the place where his mother had died to protect him, and he would forever feel an attachment to this place. But by now the ranging storm of grief that he had felt back then had become the driving force behind his determination to always be the best he can, and the feelings that he associated with his mother weren't darkened by the constant memories of her death.  
As he stood there he felt something flicker at the edge of his sensing range. Confused he looked towards the bridge. The presence felt distinctly Kitsune, and there definitely shouldn't be another one here. He jumped up towards the bridge, but all he caught was the tip of a silver tail. Then the presence was gone from his range completely.  
Confused and concerned Ichigo retired home, and decided to ask Chad if he had noticed anything strange later. 

At the same time, almost a mile further down the river, a silver haired stranger wondered if his ability to conceal his reiatsu had become bad enough that an untrained kid could sense him. It was probably time to step up his training if he had become this bad. 

At that moment in time neither of them knew how their fates would intertwine yet…. But they would find out. Very soon.


End file.
